When I think back to elementary school, I have a hard time remembering the countless math and English lessons I was taught, but I do remember being trained in nonviolence by Mrs. Wildman in both 4th and 5th grade. Being exposed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings made me into the respectful human being I am today. Mrs. Wildman opened my eyes to accurate accounts of historical events told from the perspective of underrepresented groups in society. Being given the tools to maintain healthy relationships and resolve conflicts is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given from an educator, and I have used the lessons I learned in Mrs. Wildman’s classroom ever since I was ten years old. All in all, I absorbed pertinent life lessons from my 4th and 5th grade teacher that are not only memorable but also extremely applicable in everyday life.
Through studying Kingian nonviolence, I learned from a young age that everyone deserves respect no matter what their identity is because all humans are valuable to the global community. While my class played drums and sang the same songs the freedom riders sang during the Civil Rights Movement, I could not help but feel connected to my fellow classmates and ancestors. We read numerous books about both male and female African American leaders of the civil rights movement and actually got a chance to meet one of them – the Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. – who talked to Dr. Martin Luther King the day he was assassinated. Dr. Lafayette gave an inspirational speech to my classmates and I about pursuing our passions no matter how many obstacles are in our way. Mrs. Wildman made me feel personally connected to the subjects I was studying, and she helped me learn the importance of loving my neighbor as myself. These important lessons were accomplished by Mrs. Wildman because she shared an enlightened view of the Civil Rights Movement with the class.
In all of my studies from K-12, I have been presented with surface-level accounts of historical events from the perspective of white males who write history textbooks. Despite our young ages, Mrs. Wildman thought it was vital for my classmates and me to be presented with truthful historical stories and trained us to debunk stereotypes and search for authenticity. I distinctly remember Mrs. Wildman telling us the tragic story of Emmett Till’s murder, a boy my brother's age at the time of this memory. This memory and story haunted me because I could not understand why white men would torture and kill an African American child, or any child, for supposedly flirting with a white woman. Emmett Till's story shocked me because it was senseless violence in the name of white supremacy, the antithesis of Mrs. Wildman's teachings. When I saw his family sobbing and wailing at his funeral, my heart ached for the countless number of families across the globe who have experienced such tragedies. Emmett’s mother courageously chose to keep the casket open at her son's funeral so others could see the brutality that her son endured in the hopes that they would take a stand against the discrimination that fueled Till’s murder. Being taught the truth about America’s history of racial discrimination sparked my interest and led to my involvement in social justice programs in high school and in college.
Learning about nonviolence in 4th and 5th grade not only made me into an advocate for social change, but it also taught me how to relate to people and be peaceful on a daily basis. One day at recess in 5th grade, some students from my class stole the kickball from rest of the students who were already playing with it and it caused a complex conflict. Inspired by the moment, Mrs. Wildman turned the conflict into a teachable moment. She told us we were going to drop what we were doing for the rest of the day and implement Dr. King’s six steps of conflict resolution that we had been studying all year. We used our knowledge of conflict resolution and applied it to the kickball situation. As a result, the class grew closer together and had the opportunity to apply our knowledge which helped us solidify the lessons we had been learning. I remember feeling incredibly empowered and useful because we had been taught the tools to achieve reconciliation and were able to apply what we learned to a real-life example. Mrs. Wildman supplemented our academic learning with interpersonal skills that aided us in all walks of life. Her lessons on nonviolence practices have clearly had a staying power with me, as I remain interested in nonviolence and peace studies.
Mrs. Wildman was such an influential 4th and 5th grade teacher that I have since returned to her classroom in different roles. First, as a sophomore in college, through the Mentoring and Tutoring Internship at URI, I volunteered in her classroom acting as a teacher's aide. This fall, I will be assisting her in nonviolence trainings of faculty and staff as an Education independent study. The nonviolence teachings that I learned as a student and am now practicing in my independent study have enriched my life by making me accepting of all types of people. Additionally, my critical thinking skills have improved as Mrs. Wildman encouraged me to be a questioner of information. Further, through the interpersonal practices that I learned as a young 4th and 5th grader, I am better able to connect with others and resolve conflicts. Mrs. Wildman and her lessons about nonviolence have resonated deeply with me, as evidenced by my continued relationship with her and further interest of nonviolence and peace studies. Now, I am Mrs. Wildman’s colleague and will always be grateful to her for opening my mind to peaceful thinking.
Tory Kern
EDC 102 H
September 10, 2014
Early Schooling Experience
Nonviolence EducationWhen I think back to elementary school, I have a hard time remembering the countless math and English lessons I was taught, but I do remember being trained in nonviolence by Mrs. Wildman in both 4th and 5th grade. Being exposed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings made me into the respectful human being I am today. Mrs. Wildman opened my eyes to accurate accounts of historical events told from the perspective of underrepresented groups in society. Being given the tools to maintain healthy relationships and resolve conflicts is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given from an educator, and I have used the lessons I learned in Mrs. Wildman’s classroom ever since I was ten years old. All in all, I absorbed pertinent life lessons from my 4th and 5th grade teacher that are not only memorable but also extremely applicable in everyday life.
Through studying Kingian nonviolence, I learned from a young age that everyone deserves respect no matter what their identity is because all humans are valuable to the global community. While my class played drums and sang the same songs the freedom riders sang during the Civil Rights Movement, I could not help but feel connected to my fellow classmates and ancestors. We read numerous books about both male and female African American leaders of the civil rights movement and actually got a chance to meet one of them – the Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. – who talked to Dr. Martin Luther King the day he was assassinated. Dr. Lafayette gave an inspirational speech to my classmates and I about pursuing our passions no matter how many obstacles are in our way. Mrs. Wildman made me feel personally connected to the subjects I was studying, and she helped me learn the importance of loving my neighbor as myself. These important lessons were accomplished by Mrs. Wildman because she shared an enlightened view of the Civil Rights Movement with the class.
In all of my studies from K-12, I have been presented with surface-level accounts of historical events from the perspective of white males who write history textbooks. Despite our young ages, Mrs. Wildman thought it was vital for my classmates and me to be presented with truthful historical stories and trained us to debunk stereotypes and search for authenticity. I distinctly remember Mrs. Wildman telling us the tragic story of Emmett Till’s murder, a boy my brother's age at the time of this memory. This memory and story haunted me because I could not understand why white men would torture and kill an African American child, or any child, for supposedly flirting with a white woman. Emmett Till's story shocked me because it was senseless violence in the name of white supremacy, the antithesis of Mrs. Wildman's teachings. When I saw his family sobbing and wailing at his funeral, my heart ached for the countless number of families across the globe who have experienced such tragedies. Emmett’s mother courageously chose to keep the casket open at her son's funeral so others could see the brutality that her son endured in the hopes that they would take a stand against the discrimination that fueled Till’s murder. Being taught the truth about America’s history of racial discrimination sparked my interest and led to my involvement in social justice programs in high school and in college.
Learning about nonviolence in 4th and 5th grade not only made me into an advocate for social change, but it also taught me how to relate to people and be peaceful on a daily basis. One day at recess in 5th grade, some students from my class stole the kickball from rest of the students who were already playing with it and it caused a complex conflict. Inspired by the moment, Mrs. Wildman turned the conflict into a teachable moment. She told us we were going to drop what we were doing for the rest of the day and implement Dr. King’s six steps of conflict resolution that we had been studying all year. We used our knowledge of conflict resolution and applied it to the kickball situation. As a result, the class grew closer together and had the opportunity to apply our knowledge which helped us solidify the lessons we had been learning. I remember feeling incredibly empowered and useful because we had been taught the tools to achieve reconciliation and were able to apply what we learned to a real-life example. Mrs. Wildman supplemented our academic learning with interpersonal skills that aided us in all walks of life. Her lessons on nonviolence practices have clearly had a staying power with me, as I remain interested in nonviolence and peace studies.
Mrs. Wildman was such an influential 4th and 5th grade teacher that I have since returned to her classroom in different roles. First, as a sophomore in college, through the Mentoring and Tutoring Internship at URI, I volunteered in her classroom acting as a teacher's aide. This fall, I will be assisting her in nonviolence trainings of faculty and staff as an Education independent study. The nonviolence teachings that I learned as a student and am now practicing in my independent study have enriched my life by making me accepting of all types of people. Additionally, my critical thinking skills have improved as Mrs. Wildman encouraged me to be a questioner of information. Further, through the interpersonal practices that I learned as a young 4th and 5th grader, I am better able to connect with others and resolve conflicts. Mrs. Wildman and her lessons about nonviolence have resonated deeply with me, as evidenced by my continued relationship with her and further interest of nonviolence and peace studies. Now, I am Mrs. Wildman’s colleague and will always be grateful to her for opening my mind to peaceful thinking.